Alliances

The Alliance for Life and Peace:

The Petén Alliance for Life and Peace grew out of a collective effort to resolve certain historical problems (land distribution, exclusion of women and indigenous peoples, lack of education and health services, etc.) and tackle the threat of neo-liberal policies that directly affect the population of Petén. This alliance represents 25 organizations from the Petén department, in Guatemala, and made its first public appearance on the International Day of Resistance of Indigenous Peoples on October 12, 2002. Since the signing of the Peace Accords, on December 29, 1996, the living conditions of the poor majority have not improved, and the causes or origins of internal conflicts have not been resolved. This reality led to the organizations that participated together to strengthen the popular movement and the struggle.

On the International Day Against Dams, March 14, 2004, the Alliance launched an information campaign that focused on the Puebla Panama Plan (PPP), and whose central theme was "Water, Corn, and the Earth are ours"

WATER: in opposition to the privatization of water and the construction of dams.CORN: for food sovereignty (in terms of self-sufficiency, self-determination) and against genetically modified corn.EARTH: for the distribution of just earth.

Since the launch of "water, corn and our Earth" campaign, the Alliance has launched a "solidarity economy" project in 2009 that unites the progressive communities of different regions of Guatemala and establishes direct commercial relationships. By trading directly with each other, the farmers of both communities can increasingly benefit from their agricultural products as producers and also save as consumers. For example, tomatoes and cucumbers grown in Chimaltenango are shipped by truck to Petén communities. On the return trip, the trucks travel of corn and black beans produced by Petén back to Chimaltenango. Coyotes or intermediaries who exploit the farmers who have no power in the marker are totally nullified and benefit the communities by trading directly with each other in this way.